Death penalty necessary, even if it's not used

Since the the death penalty has not been carried out in Maryland since 2005 and is not anticipated to be used again, the debate over whether it should be abolished is almost academic ("House committee approves death penalty repeal" Mar. 8). However there is at least one compelling reason to retain it. If an individual now pleads guilty in a plea bargain to murder to avoid the death penalty, winding up with accepting life in prison without parole, serves justice. However without the death penalty, when the prisoner would plead guilty, instead of agreeing to life without parole, he or she will demand a lesser sentence and even for the most heinous crimes will be eligible one day for release.

The death penalty does not have to be carried out to change the psychology of the accused as far as probable punishment, but it will serve as an inducement to go for the lesser of two sentences, namely life without parole.

I find it amazing that Del. Pat McDonough feels that reinstating the death penalty demands his time and resources as a priority in our state despite the numerous more pressing issues ("Del. McDonough seeks to restore death penalty in some cases," Jan. 26). He references two recent police killings...

While Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger and Towson University professor Richard Vatz have outlined many secular reasons for reinstating the death penalty ("Maryland should reinstate the death penalty," Jan. 6), I suggest that we let dead dogs lie and that we let the death penalty...

It was good of Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger and Towson University professor Richard E. Vatz to present their best arguments for reinstating the death penalty in Maryland — or anywhere else, I suppose ("Reinstate the death penalty, Maryland," Jan. 7). Let's see if any of...

It's ironic that your newspaper should publish a letter from our most ignorant apologists for the death penalty the same week that the Innocence Project freed yet another death row inmate from being wrongfully executed ("Maryland should reinstate the death penalty," Jan. 6).

Reading Scott Shellenberger's and Richard E. Vatz's pleas for a reinstatement of the death penalty in Maryland reminds me of a proverbial ditty my mother was fond of during my childhood ("Maryland should reinstate the death penalty," Jan. 6).

Each one of the arguments raised in Scott Shellenberger and Richard E. Vatz's recent op-ed calling for reinstating the death penalty in Maryland was considered during the debate on capital punishment ("Maryland should reinstate the death penalty," Jan. 6).

Having just read your latest editorial about an inmate's execution ("Another botched injection,http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/bs-ed-lethal-injection-20140725%2C0%2C1958095.story July 27), two things stand out. The first is obvious — when something like this happens, it immediately becomes...